I have an 8017.
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?p=4298945
One of the (several) things that really bothers me is that it doesn't light up at all when the unit is turned off but my headlights are turned on. Nothing, not even the power button.

At night 1.) It looks a little weird to have a blacked-out center dash (even the stock Bose's buttons light up when the unit is off) and 2.) I need to feel around in the dark just to turn the unit on.

Is this normal or did I miss something with the install? I feel good about the install and I'm pretty sure it is not a menu setting but I can't beleive that Kenwood would design it this way. ?

Thanks.

 

Help?




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I've got the 7015. I agree on the problem, it's frustrating...I just usually keep it on all the time at the dimmest setting at night to get around it.

Simply put, no, I haven't found a way to do what you're asking.

EDIT: I think what you were asking is if you installed it incorrectly? No, I don't think you did. Mine's installed correctly, I'm 100% sure of that. I think Kenwood just didn't make it an option. I think as advanced as the aftermarket is right now, they have a lot of catching up to do. Specifically in the realm of dimmer switches and lighting. I think if the Kenwood was set up like the OEM HU, and it would adjust the amount of lighting proportionally to how the dimmer switch is adjusted, it would be much better. I think in that case the backlighting of the buttons and such would be independent of the power status of the HU, and would correspond to the interior lighting and dimmer switch inside the car. Then we wouldn't have the gripe that we have.

So far, in my experience, I have yet to run across an aftermarket HU that adjusts its lighting like the OEM HU does (in regards to the dimmer switch, headlight settings, etc.).

 

I hear you regarding the dimmer Meta. But I'm not even that picky. I just want the outer perimeter buttons to turn on with my headlights (even with the unit power off). I contacted a Kenwood tech. rep. and he/she told me it is supposed to and I should have the install checked by a pro. I know my friend and I hooked it up right. arrgghhhh

Do you have the navigation? What do yout think of it? Mine is almost always wrong. Without exaggeration, it is wrong 95%+ of the time. It will always get me close and on the correct road but it will under or overshoot by anywhere from 1-2 blocks up to 1-2 miles.

I am starting to regret this purchase.

 

LOL, you called it. I am VERY picky.

I'm starting to believe that the kenwood rep. didn't understand what you were talking about or either they had no clue. I, like you, am confident that my install is done correctly. I even had a "pro" on hand to go over the wiring when I was installing it. I just don't think the HU has the capability.

As to the navigation, I don't have that. I've held off partly because of cost, partly because of reviews like yours. And I'll say, a review like you've just given makes me not want to get the nav at all. Does the nav unit require you to tap into the VSS wire? If so, are you sure that's done correctly? Again, since I don't have the nav, I'm merely speculating, but I just thought I'd try.

 

I know all my connections are golden. It isn't a problem with the GPS or the coordinates, etc. because it shows me exactly where I am at any given moment. It is always dead nuts correct in showing me in relation to surrounding roads. It just always bring me to the wrong final location!!! I can only hope it is software and not hardware (even though I bought mine in 06-05, I have an '04 disk). I hope the next disk solves things.

 

Here is a copy and paste of my gripes from another thread:

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The unit does not fill the full double din. And the trim piece Kenwood gives us doesn't work without cutting/hacking.

The unit is shiny gloss black, not flat black like our dash.

The unit sticks out a good .5" when using the stock mounting location (modification needed for a flush fit).

The LCD screen is sunk in about 3/8" from the outer trim. It should be flush!

Very limited choice in wall-papers/screen savers and they are not customizable.

When you use the 'Zoom' mode (picture fills the whole screen) while watching DVDs, the picture quality goes way down.

That stupid 'ice-cube' button glows so bright, it distracts from the movie.

The owner's manual is terrible. It is literally written by someone who does not speak English as his/her primary language. I am not exaggerating. You can tell English is this person's second language. I need to read the manual 2-3 times and sit in the car playing with the Kenwood before some things sink in.

The buttons don't light up at night when the headlights are on but the unit is off! You have to 'fish' for the power button just to turn it on. And the dash doesn't look as nice at night when it is all blacked out.

Way too much button pushing to get from one source to the next. Ex. going from CD to CD changer to Navigation. The audio and video are separate so you have to pump both buttons until they line up with what you want.

Every day things are just plain harder. If you want to play a CD in the stock Bose unit, you hit “CD” – it powers up and plays the CD. You want to listen to FM on the stock unit, hit “FM”. Now I have to hit ‘Power’, wait 3-5 seconds for the unit to turn on, and proceed with the button pushing until I get the source I want.

The navigation is wrong 80+% of the time. Usually not by much. For instance if I am asking for say Home Depot, she will take me to the plaza half a mile to a mile down the road instead of the actual Home Depot plaza. This happens almost every time – she rarely gets me to the exact location. And sometimes the unit is just plain wrong – she tries to take me down a dead end street! Sorry babe, I can’t plow through a barricade and go off-roading like you are suggesting. Sometimes in-route she’ll wig out. “Make a U-Turn followed by a U-Turn”. But over-all, the nav. is user-friendly and gets you where you need to go.

There is a stop button on the internal DVD/CD player but no stop button for the changer. I feel bad just hitting the power button and turning the unit off in the middle of CD play.

The volume level of the DVD player is much lower than any other source. I need to listen to DVDs at volume 30+, while 15-20 is good for CDs, radio, etc. Very frustrating (and not fun when you switch to the radio from a DVD).

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Maybe I am being too picky. Do you agree with some of my gripes?

 

Nahh, I have the exact same gripes as you do. I read through each one and thought to myself, "yeah, I'd have to agree."

I think the difference is that I had a different aftermarket HU before I installed this one - a JVC KD-AVX1. It had some cool features - single din with a 3" color screen and removable face - but the user friendliness sucked, and for near $500 it was just worthless to me. Wayyyy too many shortcomings. Many more shortcomings than I had when I moved to the DDX.

Oh and the DVD volume versus every other volume gripe - sorry to hear you have that, but I'm glad at the same time - I thought it was unique to my unit. I have no idea why that happens.

 

Sorry to dig up an old thread (1 week)...

John - does the 7015 have a detachable face? what about the 8017? Little concerned about security.

Thanks!

 

Nope. That was one of my worries. Honestly though, at least in my car, once it's installed it looks like an OEM nav setup to anyone looking in from outside the car. Even people I've had get in my car always thought it was OEM until I told them

 

ok...thanks....i will have to seriously think about the potential security issues/problems.

 

I made a fake face. You can see it here. This was my 'rough draft' though and my finished product is a lot nicer.
http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...72&postcount=3
Not that it matters too much but it has a blinking red light and a security code that (hopefully?) renders it useless if someone takes it. But, of course, none of that helps us if they take it anyway...

 

good idea....where did you get the faceplate? i would like to keep my Bose unit intact for when i resell (if possible).

 

Right. Ideally you would want to use a Maxima Bose unit but a close second is what I did, just find any old double din. I asked the shop I bought my 8017 from for any double dins he might have lying around the shop. He gave me a stack of 5-6! I'm sure you can simply hit a bunch of stereo shops and just ask for any double dins they were going to throw away. Good luck.